Former Duke basketball guard cashes in big time on giant gamble

A Duke basketball product’s silky shot has officially made him filthy rich.

First, consider that Gary Trent Jr. earned only about $1.7 million last season, his third in the league since departing early from the Duke basketball program.

Next, keep in mind the 22-year-old sharpshooting two-guard declined the option seven months ago to negotiate a contract extension with the Portland Trail Blazers that could have totaled $54 million across the next four years. Yes, rather than finalize that deal, Trent opted to bet big on himself by waiting until August to become a restricted free agent.

Swishes paying off for the former Duke basketball one-and-done

Now, in light of Gary Trent Jr.’s high-level contributions following the March trade that sent him to the Toronto Raptors, the 2018 second-round draft pick will ink a deal with the franchise worth a reported $54 million over three years. And the third year is a player option.

So, in essence, Trent took a year off the amount of time it would have taken him to rake in that many dollars had he chosen the safe route back in December.

He did so by consistently demonstrating his value to Toronto.

As a regular starter, the Minnesota native averaged 16.2 points across 17 appearances for a Raptors squad that finished well out of the playoff hunt with its 27-45 record. Trent’s production also proved prolific at times, including individual scoring outings of 31 and 44 points shortly after the trade.

The 6-foot-5, 210-pound NBA Blue Devil finished his 2020-21 campaign as a whole with a career-high 15.3 points per game plus 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 38.5 percent from downtown.

Judging from the size of Gary Trent Jr.’s secured bags, it seems Toronto brass must see him as a significant piece in trying to return the Raptors to their 2019 championship form.